Nikola Zhekov

Nikola Zhekov
Born	(1865-01-06)6 January 1865 İslimiye,Ottoman Empire(todaySliven,Bulgaria)
Died	1 November 1949(1949-11-01)(aged 84) Füssen,West Germany
Allegiance	Kingdom of Bulgaria
Service/branch	Bulgarian Land Forces
Years of service	1885–1918
Rank	General
Commands	Chief of Staff of the2nd Army Commander-in-chief of the Bulgarian Army
Battles/wars	Serbo-Bulgarian War Balkan Wars World War I
Awards

Nikola Todorov Zhekov(Bulgarian:Никола Тодоров Жеков;German:Nikola Todorow Schekow;6 January 1865 – 1 November 1949) was the Minister of War ofBulgariain 1915 and served ascommander-in-chieffrom 1915 to 1918 duringWorld War I.

Biography

Nikola Zhekov was born 1865 inSliven.He was accepted in Sofia Military School and volunteered to serve in a reserve regiment during theSerbo-Bulgarian Warof 1885. He took part in the1886 coup d'étatagainst princeAlexander Batenberg.After the plot failed he was demoted to the rank ofcadetand sent to serve in the 12th infantry regiment. Soon after he received an amnesty for his offence and graduated from the Military School. In 1887 he was promoted toLieutenantand assigned to the 2nd artillery regiment inShumen.In 1894 he was promoted to captain and sent toItalywhere in 1898 he graduated the military academy ofTurin.After his return to Bulgaria he served in the 3rd artillery regiment and in the Army's staff. In 1901 he was promoted tomajorand taught at the Sofia military school, becoming its headmaster in 1912. Between 1910 and 1912 he also served as commander of the 1st infantry regiment.

Balkan Wars

During theFirst Balkan War,ColonelZhekov served as chief of staff of the2nd Armywhich was tasked with the initial siege and latter the storming of the importantfortress ofEdirne.He contracted an illness which prevented him from taking part in theSecond Balkan Warand after it was assigned commander of the Bulgarian forces inWestern Thrace.

In 1913-1914 Zhekov was also part of a Bulgarian diplomatic mission toIstanbul,which was involved in negotiating a military convention between Bulgaria and theOttoman Empire.After that he served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army and commander of the 8th "Tundzha" division. In August 1915 he was promoted tomajor generaland appointed Minister of War.

World War I

Lt. Gen.Zhekov ascommander-in-chief

After his experience of the Balkan Wars TsarFerdinandrefused to take command of the Bulgarian Army as Commander-in-Chief and personally favored Nikola Zhekov for the post, which he assumed on 24 September 1915. Zhekov was a proponent for the military intervention of Bulgaria in the war on the side of theCentral Powersand led the Bulgarian Army until the end of the war.

Attached toMackensen'sArmy Group, the BulgarianFirst Armyliaised with theGermanyandAustria-Hungaryin crushing theRoyal Serbian Armyat home while the BulgarianSecond Army,which remained under direct Bulgarian control, seizedMacedoniaand defeated theAlliedrelief effort. Under Mackensen's command, the Bulgarian Army also participated in the militarily highly successfulRomanian campaign.

Separately, Zhekov managed in throwing back the Allied offensives on theSalonika frontin the autumn of 1916 and the spring of 1917 at the battles ofFlorinaandLake Prespa.Zhekov's forces also participated in the successful attack against the port ofKavallain August–September 1916. On 6 October 1916 he was promoted tolieutenant general.In the summer of 1918 he became ill and on 8 September was forced to go toViennafor medical treatment, leaving the command of the army to the deputy commander-in-chief generalGeorgi Todorov.It was during this critical time when the AlliedVardar offensivein Macedonia managed to break the Bulgarian lines atDobro Poleand lead to theArmistice of Salonica.On 4 November 1918 Zhekov was discharged from the active army and went into the reserve.

Later life

After the war Zhekov chose to flee into exile in Germany. He returned in 1921 to defend his reputation and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment byStamboliyski'sBANU governmentbut was granted pardon after the1923 coup d'étatand was released in 1924.

In the years after that Zhekov read lectures in the Military Academy and wrote several books regarding the military science and his memoirs. On 6 May 1936 he was promoted to general of the infantry, which was the highest rank in the Bulgarian Army.

Zhekov was one of the prominent figures of Bulgarian interwar nationalism. Thus he was an honorary leader of theUnion of Bulgarian National Legionsat one point.

DuringWorld War IIGeneral Zhekov established a friendly relationship withAdolf Hitlerand following thedefeat of Francein 1940 he was invited by theFührerto visit Paris as his guest. After the communist1944 coup d'étatGeneral Zhekov, fearing political persecutions, decided to immigrate to Germany. On 1 February 1945 he was sentenced to death by thePeople's Courtestablished by the government of theFatherland Front.However, his whereabouts were unknown to the government and the sentence could not be carried out.

Zhekov died on 1 November 1949 in theBavariantown ofFüssen.After thefall of communism in Bulgaria,on 7 November 1992 his remains were returned to country and were laid to rest in theMilitary MausoleuminSofia.A street in Sofia is named after him.

Awards

• Order of Bravery,II grade and III grade,2 class
• Order of St Alexander,I grade with swords and Great Cross of the Order without swords
• Order of Military Merit,IV and V grade
• GermanPour le Mérite,
• GermanIron Cross,I and II class
• GermanOrder of the Red Eagle,Grand Cross and 2nd Class
• GermanSaxe-Ernestine House Order,
• GermanOrder of the Württemberg Crown,
• Austro-HungarianOrder of the Iron Crown,II class
• Austro-HungarianOrder of Leopold,I class
• Austro-HungarianMilitary Merit Cross,I class with War Decoration
• OttomanOrder of Osmanieh,I class
• OttomanWar Medal ( "Iron Crescent" ),
• OttomanImtiyaz Medalin gold and in silver

See also

• Balkans Campaign (World War I)

References

• First World War.com - Who's Who - Nikola Zhekovat www.firstworldwar.com
• Енциклопедия „България “, том 2, Издателство на БАН, София, 1981.
• Недев,С.,Командването на българската войска през войните за национално обединение,София, 1993, Военноиздателски комплекс „Св. Георги Победоносец “
• Вазов,В.,Животописни бележки,София, 1992, Военноиздателски комплекс „Св. Георги Победоносец “,ISBN954-509-002-2с. 123